Date:
7/23/2002 3:00:00 PM
Title:
Pennsylvania Farm Receives Regional Environmental Award
John and Kathy Allen, owners of Armstrong Farms, were recognized for their exceptional environmental stewardship at the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association’s (NCBA) annual summer conference.
Armstrong Farms located in Saxonburg, Penn., is a centennial farm established in 1816. The farms primary agricultural enterprise is a cow/calf operation consisting of both purebred Black Angus and purebred Shorthorn cattle.
“Managing natural resources and implementing environmentally sound practices is essential in running a successful cattle operation and Armstrong Farms exemplifies this,” stated NCBA President Wythe Willey. “Despite urban development the Allens have been able to maintain the farm that has been in their family for six generations.”
Sponsored by Dow AgroSciences, the Environmental Stewardship Award Program recognizes cattle producers whose stewardship practices are inventive, cost-effective and contribute to environmental conservation. The recipients of this top U.S. beef industry award are selected by a committee of representatives from university faculty, federal and state government agencies, and conservation and environmental organizations.
For many years Armstrong Farms was primarily devoted to row crop production. Today, the farm has been developed for the production of quality grass and legumes, which supports nearly 400 mother cows rotationally grazed for maximum efficiency. The farm brings in additional income from hunting and fishing leases, harvesting timber and an on farm bed and breakfast.
“We are working with the environment, not against it. Our family philosophy is that we don’t just own the land, rather both are entrusted us to manage and improve it for those who will follow us,” said John Allen. “Our goal is to make the total ecosystem better than it was when we started.”
The Allen family currently owns 1,000 acres and leases another 300 acres. The properties are divided into paddocks so that cattle can be moved easily in an intensive rotational grazing program. Soil samples are pulled on each paddock every other year.
The Allen’s have taken an active interest in preserving all their natural resources as efficiently as possible. The farm is participating in a research study to monitor wind velocity to determine the possibility of utilizing windmills to collect, store and generate electricity. The electricity would be used to pump fresh water to cattle from already developed springs and even possibly be sold back to local electric suppliers.
Preserving and enhancing the wildlife that habitat the farm are very important to the Allen’s. The farm has participated in the reintroduction efforts of the native barn owl by conducting two on farm releases and a wetland area has been created and fenced off to support waterfowl nesting and migrations.
The Allen’s have turned an old abandoned mine strip into a usable paddock where cattle are rotationally grazed on timothy and birdsfoot trefoil. This project was possible through cooperation with the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental protection, NRCS and the mine owners.
The family has worked with numerous groups to enhance their stewardship practices, including Ducks Unlimited, USDA Project Grass and Pennsylvania Game Commission.
“The Allen’s are not only committed to enhancing their own resources but have consistently offered their property as a training opportunity for others to share their experiences and teach the importance of land stewardship,” stated Christopher Clouser, a biologist with Ducks Unlimited.